Letter file



Ma 18 192s. 1,585,237"

G. E. DOUGHTY LETTER FILE Filed Oct. 26 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j w fi ii By Attorneys,

INVENTOR 2 May 18 1926. 1,585,237

G. E. DOUGHTY Filed 001. 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 By Attorneys,

Patented May 18, 1926.

u siren star-as means assess.

GEORGE'E. DOUCrI-ITY, F NEVJ YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CQOKE & COBB COM- PANY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LETTER FILE.

Application filed Gctober 26, 1923. Serial No. 670,876.

This invention :relates to letter files and method of producing the same and aims to provide improvements therein.

The present invention provides a letter tile and a method of producing it whereby the manutacture ol such letter files'is simplified, the cost of production reduced, and a stronger and moredurable file produced.

An en'ibodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accomliianying drawings, :as well as diagrams illustrating the carrying out of the method.

Referring; to said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a'letter file, with the closing flap lifted and embodying the features oi? improvements oi the present invention.

Figures 2 to 7 inclusive illustrate ,the method o1 manufacturingthe file and also details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a planvicw of a sheet ot paper, usually of a tough variety, which is used for forming the partitions of aletter file.

Fig.3 is a view oftheupper edge of the sheet shown in Fig. 2 somewhat enlarged andhaving adhesively attached on one edge, on one side thereof, a reinforcing strip.

Fig. e is a view of the sheet shown in Figure 3 notched part-way across the min .l'orced edge to provide an indexing tab.

Fig. 5 shows a plurality of notched sheets similar to that shown in Fig. 4t, assembled and having the index letters printed on the tabs.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet shown in Fig. 3 and showing clearly the reinforcing strip.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the file shown in Fig. l. and showing the details of construction of the covering flap.

Referring to said drawings, numeral 10 designates a series of paper sheets, preterably of a tough. variety of paper, which, when assembled, provided between the sheets a series of pockets for receiving and containing letters, bills, or the like to be filed therein.

This series of sheets 10 may be contained in any sort of a body, as the stiff box of body or the expanding type as shown herein. As here shown, the series of sheets 10 placed between a front piece 20, conveniently of stiff cardboard, and a back piece 22 also of stiii cardboard. The front and back pieces 20, 22 areunited bypaperpieces idlded in the manner of a bellows. The file 1S preferably covered by a flap 30. This flap is preferably provided with The stifi' part 32 ofthe flap ispreterzibly :tormed by extending the cardboard back 2 beyond the top edges of the partition sheets to an extent corresponding to the width of the file, as indicated at 35, and creasing this piece of cardboard at the junction of the up er edge of the back ,andthe extension thereof, in order to provide a hinge 37 for bending the flapalong the upper edge of the back piece 22 where the flap and back pieces are joined. The flap 30 may be, and lnfcterably is, an extension of a paper sheet 40 which is employed .ior covering or finishing the outside of the cardboard back piece 22. v

flihecardboard extension 35 isepreterably finished on its inner side with a-strip 01". paper 42, adhesively applied thereto and lapping a portion of the iiap 30 and a portion of the inner side of the back piece 22, for the purpose o1 giving a finished appearance to the inside of the file when the flap is open.

For the purpose of strengthening and re intorcing the upper edges of the partition sheets 10, where the greatest amount of handling occurs, these edges are reinforced by a strip of fabric, paper, or the like adhesively applied thereto on one side of said sheets, through a similar strip could be applied on the otl er side of said sheets immediately behind said first strip.

The superposed lartition sheets 10 which go to make. up a file, are notched along the reinforced edge to different lengths, in such manner that each sheet exposes a portion of the upper edge of the sheet behind it, indicated at 52. These exposed portions serve as tabs for handling purposes and also for receiving indicia for marking or indexing the several pockets to designate the contents thereof. As here shown the tabs 5: 2 are provided with a series of letters, A, B, C, etc., to indicate that the adjacent pockets are to receive letters, bills, etc., from senders -whose names begin with the letter correspending to the letters on the tabs A, B, C, etc.

The partition sheets, above described, may be expeditiously and economically made by the following method. the required size are cut, as indicated in Fig. 2. These sheets, either before or after being out, have reinforcing strips 50 preterably o't fabric adhcsively applied along the upper edge thereof (or along a part which is to form the upper edge) on one side thereof, though at the same time, or at a diii erent time, a similar strip could be applied to the other side of said sheets. This may be very conveniently and expeditiously performed by a machine operation which applies the strip from a roll at a very rapid rate onto the strip or series of sheets of paper fed thereto.

The sheets 10 with the reinforcing strips 50 applied thereto, are then placed in a cutting or notching machine and the upper edge notched as shown in Figure 4:, to (lit ferent lengths or distances from one edgs thereof, the notching being done in such manner that a continuous portion of the reinforcing strip remains across the upper edge of the sheet.

A series of notched sheets having notches oi succesively different length, are then assembled, as indicated in Figure 5, and the series of sheets are then fed to a printing device Which prints the indexing characters on the entire series at one operation.

The assembled notched and printed series of sheets are then put into the file box or cover in any usual or desired manner.

Sheets of paper to .By making the partition sheets ttOCOlCliiiiZ to the method described, an improved pro, not is provided by a comparatively simple method and at small manufacturing es:- pense.

Moreover, the file as a whole is strong, will stand handling and presents a neat and at tractive appearance, both when opened and closed, on sale and in use, and these advantages are attained \vi h a saving in cost and simplification in the method of manutmture.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A letter tile liaving paper partition sheets forn'iing pockets for receiving lette etc. said sheets each having a fabric 1'- iorcing; strip adhesively attached to the thereof at its to J ed e which is handled in inserting and removing papers from t1 said pockets, each sheet and strip be notched in such manner as to expose par s of each sheet behind it, said strips having adjacent the notched portion on said posed part printed indicia to indicate the class of papers to be filed in the pockets tween said sheets.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sheetot paper reinforced entirely across one edge with a fabric strip adhesively attached to one face oi the sheet, and a portion of said reinforced part of the sheet narrower than said fabric strip and parallel to the el thereof being cut away to leave an index tab on the sheet.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

GEORGE E. DOUGHTY.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,585,237, granted May 18, 1926, upon the application of George E. Doughty, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Letter Files, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correc tion as follows: Page 1, line 50, after the word box insert the Word type, and line 94;, for the Word through read thouyh; page 2, line Q-l, for the misspelled Word edgs read edge; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 22d day of June, A. D. 1926.

SEAL M. J. MOORE;

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

